More thoughts on Judgement Day

Last night, or was that today?  Anywho - Jon and I were watching the news. They had a report on the whole Judgement Day thing. They were following some guy around, I think it was New York City - someone who was a follower of this whole May 21st rapture thing. He was an elderly man and as the clock ticked down to 6:00, he was eagerly watching his watch in anticipation of the moment he would be swept up into heaven.


Of course, the clock turned to 6:00, then 6:01, then 6:30, and so on - and no rapture.  This man's face was distraught. He was stunned, disappointed and of course, very sad. The crowd heckled him. They made fun of him, they got in his face. I felt so sorry for him. It was extremely sad. The reporters came back on and mocked him and the whole rapture thing for a few minutes - everyone having a good laugh.


At this point, I realized just how sad the whole situation is - and it gave me a few more thoughts.


The rapture - is coming. Maybe not May 21, or any other date this guy predicted - but the rapture is coming my friends. The scriptures are clear. One day, Jesus is returning for His church. I believe the time is near. We are to be watching, we are to be waiting, we are to be ready. No, we do not know the day or the hour - but He is coming back. The world thinks it's a big joke - as evidenced by the reactions of so many at this elderly man's fallen face - but he's not wrong. Jesus is coming back. We just don't know when.


 Yes, Harold Compton messed up the date. Yes, he spent money - and a lot of it - on advertisements - money that would have been better spent feeding the hungry and the orphaned and the poor. Yes, he twisted scripture.


But - he was not wrong in that Jesus will come back. Listen to the word from Matthew 24 (the Message):


^30-31"Then, the Arrival of the Son of Man! It will fill the skies—no one will miss it. Unready people all over the world, outsiders to the splendor and power, will raise a huge lament as they watch the Son of Man blazing out of heaven. At that same moment, he'll dispatch his angels with a trumpet-blast summons, pulling in God's chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.

 ^32-35"Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer's just around the corner. So it is with you: When you see all these things, you'll know he's at the door. Don't take this lightly. I'm not just saying this for some future generation, but for all of you. This age continues until all these things take place. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won't wear out.

 ³⁶"But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.

 ^37-39"The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah's. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away.

 ^39-44"The Son of Man's Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up.

The time is coming. Jesus is returning. Maybe instead of spending all of our time mocking those who thought they had the date right - we should spend more time telling people about Jesus. He is coming back - and we will all be held accountable.